Maggie Leung, Andy Venkatesan, Daniel Atwood
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Bret Thorn
A look at recent job changes from chefs across the country:
• Maggie Leung, former executive pastry chef of the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, Calif., has returned to San Francisco, where she grew up, and is now executive pastry chef of Masa’s.
Among the desserts she’s making is a chocolate-caramel-walnut tart with fleur de sel, chocolate-orange sauce and chocolate-walnut streusel. It’s served with Earl Grey ice cream. She also has a “pain perdu,” or French toast, served with pink peppercorn meringues, Tahitian-vanilla-scented Chandler strawberries, and rose-gernaium crème anglaise.
• Andy Venkatesan has been named executive chef of the Westin Resort & Spa Los Cabos in Los Cabos Mexico. He is responsible for events and room service as well as the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, Arrecifes.
Venkatesan, a native of India and an Australian citizen, has worked in several resorts in Mexico, but most recently he was food and beverage director of the Nikko Hotel in Dalian, China.
• Daniel Atwood has been named executive chef of Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery in Dahlonega, Ga., where he will be managing the food at its Wine café.
The Colorado native graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta in 1992 and has spent his career working in that city’s restaurants, including Murphy’s, Woodfire Grill, Sage on Sycamore, Goldfish, Twist, Prime, The Shed at Glenwood and, most recently, as sous chef at BLT Steak in the W Hotel.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
